by Soyeon Kim The cruel treatment of stray dogs by animal shelters run by the government in southern Taiwan is shown vividly in the movie Twelve Nights, which begins at the time that street dogs are abandoned. According to Taiwanese law, after 12 days the animals in the shelter will be put to sleep. If they are lucky, their life can continue in the arms of a new owner. However, they only have a small chance. The movie has begun a controversy about stray dogs and has attracted many animal lovers throughout the country. Like many other countries, the scope of the stray dog problem in Taiwan has become more and more serious. Taiwan University students can see many dogs without owners near the library or near the drunken moon lake. Outside the school, abandoned dogs are roaming freely, causing danger to themselves as well as to people.
So where do the dogs come from? Although some of them were born on the street, most have been abandoned by selfish owners, who did not think carefully before having a pet. Or some businessmen wanting to make profit reproduced dogs massively, but then abandoned them when they weren’t sold. Many non-profit organizations try to protect and rescue the animals, such as one civilian group in Taiwan called Animal Rescue Team Taiwan (ARTT). ARTT was founded in 1995 by Joseph Nee, a retired math teacher, and at the beginning it consisted of only a few members, including Nee’s own family. Today, it has many volunteers from different fields. Their mission is to rescue wounded, abused, and trapped animals. They work to control the population of stray animals and help in the adoption of homeless dogs and cats. They also provide animal shelter and educate students on the importance of animal rights and protection. So far they have helped more than 5,000 animals throughout Taiwan and they have also successfully carried out a number of difficult rescue missions. In order to raise awareness about the importance of the protection of abandoned animals, ARTT set up a website in 2004. They have also constantly sought advice from experienced veterinarians as well as animal experts from local universities and research centers. ARTT has also helped 2,000 dogs and cats start a new life in the United States and Canada. According to the ARTT website, for more than a decade they have devoted themselves to saving sick and injured stray animals. This might seem an impossible mission, but somehow they have accomplished it! It is time for NTU students to pay attention to stray dogs. Every person has a responsibility toward abandoned animals, because the stray animal problem is caused by people. Without our help, a lot of dogs we meet every day in NTU would not be able to maintain their life anymore. Dogs are depending on you to survive! Anyone can donate. You can donate to the Animal Rescue Team in Taiwan through the following methods: 1. By check: Please write a check payable to “Animal Rescue Team TAIWAN” and send to P.O. BOX 23-44, Taichung 40199, TAIWAN 2. By international wire transfer: Bank name: Land Bank of Taiwan Bank address: 1 Tzu-yo Rd Sec 1, Taichung 40045, TAIWAN Bank account number: 024-001-201201 SWIFT number: LBOTTWTP024 3. By the online donation system: dogtousa.org/Donation/ugC_PerDonateCard.asp (currently in Chinese only) a
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The Taida Student Journal has been active since 1995 with an ever-changing roster of student journalists at NTU. Click the above link to read about the authors Archives
May 2024
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